Despite being March now, the UK has been hit by another icy blast, with many areas covered in frost and snow, which begs the question, when will this winter ever come to an end?

Everyone who has got their hands on a cashmere shawl with fur trim will be extremely grateful this week, as temperatures have started to plummet. 

So much so that the Met Office has issued a Level 3 Cold Weather Action weather warning, saying there is a 90 per cent chance of icy conditions and heavy snow this week. 

“Very cold weather is expected across most of England this week, with widespread frosts overnight and temperatures struggling to rise above freezing in some places during the day,” a statement read. 

The areas most affected are north-east and south-east England, which are likely to encounter snowy showers and ice, as well as central and northern England where snow is likely to settle. 

Scotland has already been affected by the sudden drop in temperatures, after more than ten centimetres fell in northern parts of the country earlier this week. 

Altnaharra in the Scottish Highlands saw lows of -7.6C on Monday night (March 6th), as well as snow 12 cm deep. Areas around Aberdeenshire are also covered in a blanket of snow and some schools were forced to close. 

The cold weather is due to Arctic air moving over Scotland and travelling southwards over England, so it is no surprise it has hit the Highlands first. 

Of course, snowy scenes make for great sledging opportunities, as long as you are wrapped up warm enough. This is where cashmere cardigans, hats, scarves and gloves come into their own, keeping in heat better than any other wool product.  

This is because cashmere fibres are much finer than wool and are able to trap heat in without being bulky or needing lots of layers. In fact, it is widely considered to be eight times warmer than regular wool, despite being significantly lighter. 

At the same time, if the sun comes out and the weather warms up while you’re trying to sledge down a snowy hill, you won’t feel too hot. This is because its fibres are just as good at absorbing heat from the body and expelling it into the air, as they are at heating you up. Thanks to being a natural fabric, it is breathable and helps to maintain your natural body temperature. 

This is good news for those who are hoping the cold snap won’t last long into March. 

However, Met Office spokesman Grahame Madge told Sky News: “Temperatures will be much, much colder than we would expect at this time of year. The pattern will set in for some time.”

He stated snowy, icy conditions are likely to last until mid-March, particularly as they are “quite stubborn and not easily subject to change”. 

Overall, 30 cm of snow is expected to fall across Scotland, with more coming down throughout England as well.